Athletics Malta has taken a major step towards a fairer gender representation in its highest administrative organ, following an amendment to its statute approved this week in an Extraordinary General Meeting.
Through this amendment, presented on the initiative of Athletics Malta Council Member Anthony Fava and President Aldrin Cassar, Athletics Malta positioned itself as one of the first major sporting federations on the island to embrace complete gender equality in its governance structures at Council Member level. This move also marks Athletics Malta as one of the first athletics national associations/federations in Europe to take such a progressive step, alongside just France and the Republic of Ireland.
While the executive roles of the President, Secretary General and Treasurer, will remain open to election following nomination from members of the association irrespective of gender, the composition of the remaining positions on the Council has now been amended to ensure total gender equality. While the Statute will now provide for a minimum of four member places on the Council, on top of the executive roles, should three or four members of the same gender be elected to these positions, the statute will now cater for the further election of up to four members of the non-represented gender, ensuring a total member balance and diverse leadership.
President Aldrin Cassar, expressed his enthusiasm for this historic milestone: “Athletics Malta is proud to lead the way in championing gender equality within our organisation. By making these amendments, we are not only setting a precedent on the island but also positioning ourselves as one of the first athletics organisations in Europe to take such bold steps”.
He added: “If you look at athletics and running in Malta, over the past few years we have seen a significant increase in female participation, particularly in track and field, but recently, also in road-running and non-stadia competitions. Thus, I believe it is imperative that such athletes are equally represented on Athletics Malta’ Council. We believe that diverse perspectives contribute to a stronger and more dynamic athletics community, and we are committed to fostering an environment where talent knows no gender boundaries.”
The applicable provisions will be enacted as from the next round of elections for Council, scheduled on 23 April 2024.
